Kia Carnival Recall: Fuel Leak in 2022-2026 Models

Source: NHTSA · United States

Areazine synthesizes this NHTSA vehicle recall directly from NHTSA's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.

Kia America is recalling certain 2022-2026 Carnival vehicles due to potential fuel leaks that could increase fire risk, affecting over 141,000 units.

What this NHTSA vehicle recall tells you, and what most readers miss

This notice was issued by NHTSA on April 16, 2026 and geographically references United States. Its severity classification of "high" signals how the issuing agency weighs the risk of harm if no action is taken - "critical" and "high" tier alerts typically carry direct consumer actions, while "medium" and "low" tend toward informational guidance or monitoring advisories. The category it belongs to - Vehicle Recalls - determines the consumer-protection framework behind it, which shapes what remedies (refunds, replacements, repairs, or the recall itself) are available to affected consumers and which agency holds statutory responsibility for enforcement.

Most readers skim a notice like this, check whether they are personally affected, and move on. The more useful lens is to read it as a data point about the issuing system: how quickly NHTSA detected the hazard, how precise the geographic or product-identifier scope is, and whether similar notices have clustered in the same category or region in the last 90 days. Cluster patterns frequently precede a broader regulatory action, a single localized NHTSA vehicle recall is isolated; three of them within a quarter often indicate a supply-chain, infrastructure, or seasonal driver that will keep producing notices until something structural changes.

For decision-making, Areazine pairs each alert with the original agency URL, the full agency name, and a timestamp so you can verify the notice against the primary source before acting on it. Tags on this item (recall, product-safety, cpsc, automotive) map to related alerts in the same area of risk - browsing them together gives a clearer picture than any single notice alone, because the shape of an ongoing issue only becomes visible across multiple sequential alerts.

What Happened

Kia America, Inc. is recalling certain 2022-2026 Carnival vehicles because fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the fuel pipe and fuel rail.

Which Products Are Affected

The recall affects approximately 141,032 Kia Carnival vehicles from model years 2022 through 2026. The NHTSA campaign number is 26V232000, and Kia's recall number is SC368. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved will be searchable on NHTSA.gov starting April 24, 2026.

What You Should Do

Dealers will inspect and tighten, or replace the fuel pipe as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on June 2, 2026. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542 for more information.

Why This Matters

A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire, which could pose a serious safety hazard to vehicle occupants and others.

Source

This recall is attributed to NHTSA with campaign number 26V232000. More details can be found on the NHTSA website.

Original source: NHTSA Official Notice ↗

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about this NHTSA vehicle recall.

What is this NHTSA vehicle recall about?
Kia America is recalling certain 2022-2026 Carnival vehicles due to potential fuel leaks that could increase fire risk, affecting over 141,000 units.
Which agency issued this alert?
This alert was issued by NHTSA. The original notice is available at the source link at the bottom of this article.
How severe is this alert?
This alert is classified as "high" severity. Take precautions and monitor for updates.
What area is affected?
This alert affects United States. Check with NHTSA for the most current geographic scope.
Where can I find more Vehicle Recalls updates?
Browse the full Vehicle Recalls feed on Areazine at areazine.com/recalls/vehicles/ for the latest updates from NHTSA and other agencies.